at least never tried such before a court-martial, or sentenced them to hard labor during the war. I am willing to regard all such as prisoners of war and subjects of exchange. Will you agree to this? Will you deliver Captain Waller and his men, and all other recruits captured by your forces? If so, I will be happy to deliver all of the same class in our possession, the party having excess to have credit for the same.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

RO. OULD,

Agent of Exchange.

[Inclosure.]

SPOTSWOOD HOUSE, Richmond, August 23, 1863.

Honorable SECRETARY OF WAR:

SIR: I beg leave to make the following statement of facts:

That I was wounded at the battle of Perryville, Ky., and taken prisoner. I remained in Kentucky seven months; was then ordered on my parole to Fort Monroe, reporting at Cincinnati and Baltimore.

On reporting at Cincinnati I was ordered by General Burnside to Camp Chase. I there made another demand to be sent forward. The commandant of the camp, Major Webber, acknowledged I had been exchanged but declined to take any action in the matter. I was at Camp Chase about six weeks. I was then sent to Johnson's Island. I there made a third demand, each time stating the time of my capture and claiming to have been exchanged under the cartel of December, 1862. The commandant of Johnson's Island consulted the Secretary of War at Washington, and I was sent from the Island to City Point July 23 and reached the latter place August 20.

My case is one of many wounded officers and men captured at the same time I was, and others prior to that time are now at Johnson's Island and other prisons North.

Lieutenant Blackwood, of an Arkansas regiment, wounded at Perryville, and by no means recovered, is at Johnson's Island. There are a number of others whose names I have forgotten.

I would beg leave to call your attention particularly to the case of Captain William Waller and others.

Captain Waller, by authority from General Morgan, went into Kentucky to recruit a company. He with twelve or fifteen recruits were captured at Maysville, Ky. They were court-martialed and Waller condemned to death, the recruits to hard labor during the war. The sentence of Waller was commuted and he is now at Johnson's Island in close confinement, and the recruits are there at hard labor.

I would also call your attention to the fact that all surgeons and chaplains of the Confederate States Government now in the hands of Federals are held as prisoners of war and treated as such. Sixty-five surgeons and twelve chaplains are now at Fort McHenry and have been informed by the Federal authorities they were considered and held as prisoners of war.

All of which I respectfully submit.

W. C. BIRD,

Captain Company C, First Florida Regiment.

RICHMOND, September 2, 1863.

Brigadier General S. A. MEREDITH, Agent of Exchange:

SIR: I bring to your notice the inclosed letter from a returned prisoner. You are aware that upon your request consent was given that money